


Fire and Ice

by tales_of_a_fallen_star



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Adventure, Drama, F/M, Romance, maybe even change the rating, will add more tags as the story continues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 13:40:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12109923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tales_of_a_fallen_star/pseuds/tales_of_a_fallen_star
Summary: Since Cassidy was a little girl she has always been fascinated by the stories about the Astrals and the history of Eos, so much that she decided to become a historian.To unravel more of the mysteries of Eos's past she travels from Altissia to Insomnia to study different historical sources and materials at the Citadel.Little does she know that this would change her entire life.





	Fire and Ice

 

The sun was just about to rise when Ignis left their hotel room at Galdin Quay. He played with the thought of waking up his companions but decided against it. Instead, he took a little stroll down the beach so he could have some time for himself and appreciate the beautiful landscape around him to its fullest.

As he walked over the wooden bridge, which lead to the parking lot where they left the Regalia, he stretched his arms ever so slightly. He let his gaze wander over the ocean beside him, the last few glowing barrel fish slowly floating around in it. He inhaled the sea breeze and closed his eyes for a moment to listen carefully to the sounds around him.There was the sound of the waves closing in on the shore, the wind blowing over the sea and the land, the calls of a few sea gulls flying not too far away.

Ignis walked down the beach and watched the sun rise in the sky, painting the it in hues of pinks and yellows. A brief glance at his wristwatch told Ignis that it was time to return to the room. On his way back he made a quick stop at the little shop beside the parking lot to retrieve the morning newspaper. The calm and peaceful morning took a drastic turn as he read the headline.

 

“INSOMNIA FALLS”

 

Ignis’s eyes widened in disbelief. He looked at all the other newspapers but they all said the same. His mind began to race. How could this be? How did this happen? The questions raced through his mind with lightning speed. To stop himself from making any premature assumptions he began to read the article, but it did nothing to soothe his mind. He couldn’t help the tears that began to well up his eyes nor could he control the slight shaking of his hands.

In a matter of moments everything and everyone Ignis knew seemed to have perished. His home city, his King, his uncle, all the remaining family he had, his…

Ignis closed his eyes at the thought, causing the tears in his eyes to silently roll down his face. It took him some time to calm down again, to regain his composure. He had to deliver the dreadful news to Noctis and the others, a task that did not come easily to him, but he had no other choice. With slow and careful steps he made his way back to the resort, the stewards at the entrance greeting him with a cheerful “Welcome to Galdin Quay!”   
He was barely clear-headed enough to return their gesture with a brief nod of his head.

With a heavy heart Ignis stood in front of the door to their room. In his mind he went through all the possible things he could say, how he could explain to Noctis that his father is no longer among them and that the Empire betrayed them, all of them -  _ the entire kingdom _ . Ignis collected himself once more before opening the door. His gaze immediately turned in Noctis’s direction, who by the looks of it had just woken up.

“What’s that look for?” the young prince enquired casually and Ignis just dropped his head a bit and averted his gaze. Ignis thought it best to just get it out as soon as possible.

“It’s in all the papers.” He mumbled while handing the newspaper in his hand over to Gladio.

“What is?” Noctis asked, curiosity as well as a hint of panic lacing his voice at Ignis’s tone.

Prompto leaned over Gladio’s shoulder to look at the newspaper.

“Insomnia…falls?”

“What? This your idea of a joke?” the young prince snapped.

“I need you to calm down so I can explain-” Ignis began but Noctis approached him quickly, the rage clearly visible on his face.

“I’m as calm as I’m gonna get!”

“There was an attack. The imperial army has taken the Crown City,” Ignis stated trying to hide the sorrow that creeped up into his tone. He couldn’t even look into Noctis’s eyes.

“As treaty room tempers flared, blasts lit the night sky. When the smoke about the Citadel had cleared, the King was found…dead,” Gladio began to read aloud. “The floor of the treaty room was covered with the corpses of the King’s most trusted advisers and counsellors, along with most of their families who attended the signing ceremony.”

“No, wait, hold on-“ Noctis began to stammer but Ignis interfered.

“We had no way of knowing.”

“What? Knowing what?”

“That the signing was last night, that Insomnia-” Ignis began to say but this time Noctis was the one to interrupt him.

“But the wedding - Altissia!”

“I  _ know  _ ! That was the plan, yet the reports of the invasion are all the same. How could every headline in the kingdom be wrong?” Ignis lowered his gaze to the floor once more, desperately trying to hold back his tears so as to not break in front of his friends. He wanted to cling to the hope that all of this was a ruse but his mind was too rational to let that happen.

For a moment none of them said a word. They all needed to comprehend the shocking news. But then realisation sank into Prompto’s mind.

“Wait… the counsellors and their families? Does that mean that Cassidy…?” Prompto began but as he saw the sorrow in Ignis’s posture; how he clenched his fists and how his face contorted into a deep frown. The blonde did not dare to finish that sentence.

“I… don’t know. I tried to call her but to no avail.” Ignis tried to state it as neutrally as he could but his unspoken thoughts hang in the room and their weight dragged all of them down further. Noctis looked at his advisor and he felt a pang of guilt in his chest for snapping at Ignis earlier. The young prince put a hand on Ignis’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, earning him a sad smile.

“What else do we know?” Gladio enquired but all Ignis could respond with was a slight shake of his head.

“Well, then we can’t be sure until we see it with our own eyes,” Gladio stated matter-of-factly, though in truth he wanted - he needed - the confirmation that all of this was false. If the King truly was dead then so was Gladio’s father, Clarus Amicitia, the King’s Shield.

“Then that means we’re going back to Insomnia?” Prompto asked carefully.

“Might not be safe for us there,” Ignis chided.

Prompto was quick to retort: “Might not be safe for us here!” and even Ignis couldn’t deny that argument. They all - especially Noctis - contemplated the thought of going back. They needed to know if what the article was saying really was true, but was it worth the risk of being ambushed by imperial troops?

The silence in the room grew heavier and heavier until Gladio was the one to finally break it. “Turn back?” he asked Noctis, who’d pulled himself out of his chair, determination set on his face.

“Yeah,” He answered before walking out of the room.

 

\------- EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE THE FALL -------

 

The feeling of having solid ground beneath her feet again was pure bliss. After being trapped on that ferry for far too long, and the ghastly, nauseating sea sickness which established itself in the pit of her stomach only a few minutes after they took off, Cassidy welcomed the wooden docks of Galdin Quay with open arms. She almost wanted to fall down to her knees and kiss the ground, but her composure and better judgement put a quick end to that train of thought. Instead she thanked Leviathan, the goddess of the sea, that she did not decide to let loose a devastating storm while the ferry crossed the sea between Accordo and Lucis, which had probably spared Cassidy from throwing up over the rail.

“Next time I’ll just swim from Altissia to Galdin Quay…” she thought. At least then she could enjoy a bit more of the sea. Cassidy actually quite loved it, especially the breathtaking view it offered.

It was early evening now and the sun was already drawing closer to the horizon, sheathing the land and the ocean around Cassidy in a golden hue. In front of her she saw the warm lights of the Galdin Quay resort and its famous restaurant, the Mother of Pearl, which was widely known for its exquisite cuisine, even back in Altissia. Cassidy admired the architectural structures of the building, considering she never saw something like it before as she was only used to the grand, ornamented buildings of the narrow streets of Altissia. Of course Altissia was an absolutely beautiful and stunning city, only a fool would say otherwise, but after living there for a bit more than sixteen years of her life Cassidy couldn’t help but appreciate the change of scenery.

Once all the luggage of the passengers has been loaded onto the dock, a steward of the resort approached Cassidy.  He asked if Cassidy wanted to check in now, and if she needed any help with her luggage. Cassidy gratefully accepted his assistance and gave him a generous tip when they arrived at her room. Now, finally alone, she let out a relieved sigh as she fell onto the soft bed and felt the silky sheets underneath her fingers. Convinced that the hardest and most unpleasant part of her journey was behind her, Cassidy grew excited for her car drive the next morning that would take her to Insomnia. Home.

Could she really call it home, though? Of course, Cassidy was born in the Crown City of Lucis but she could hardly remember a thing about it - not even the street she used to live on. All she could remember from her life in Lucis was her childhood bedroom in the Notitia Manor. Its black and white marble walls with the swirling, golden inlays. The white, wooden floor. Her queen-sized four-poster bed with the crystal-clear skylight right above it, which let in the morning sun in just the right angle to wake her up with the rising sun. She remembered how, on occasion, her father would come into her room when she was still asleep to wake her up. “Good morning, little princess,” he would say before gently scooping her up in his arms and spinning her around the room until their laughter echoed through the entire room and the hallway outside.

Other than that, Cassidy only remembered living in Altissia together with her nanny, Athena. Oh Athena, how much it hurt Cassidy to leave her behind to go to Insomnia. Athena was the one who’d taught Cassidy everything; her manners and how to behave properly, how to bake myriads of pastries and sweets. Athena even taught Cassidy how to fight and defend herself. The kind-hearted woman always tried to teach Cassidy how to wield a variety of weapons, but Cassidy had a an affinity for bows, twin swords, and daggers. Athena lectured the young Cassidy on sharpen one’s instinct all the time and how instinct is one of the key components when it comes to fighting enemies with unknown weaknesses.

“You need to stay alert at all times. Analyse the enemy’s movements and find their weak spots. Trust me, Cassidy, your instincts and your wit will always be far more crucial to winning a battle than anything else. Technique and strength alone won’t save you in combat.” Athena could be strict, but she always treated Cassidy as if she were her own daughter, and Cassidy always thought of her like a mother.

A sudden pang went through Cassidy’s heart. Her mother, another thing she had no memories of, only pictures and photographs. Cassidy’s mother, Elaine Anima Notitia, was a former member of the Crownsguard and died when Cassidy was only 3 years old. It was during an attack on a small village in Cleigne, lead by the Empire. At least that’s all her father ever wanted to say.

Tears started to well up in her eyes. She wished she could remember her face not only from pictures, she wished she could remember the sound of her voice. Before she started crying, she swallowed the sadness spreading in her chest up to her throat, as she collected herself and hopped off her bed to take a shower and to rest until the next morning. She knew it did not do any good to dwell in the past, and it was not like she was alone in the world. After all she would see her father again tomorrow, after all these years, and she looked forward to it.

 

* * *

 

When Cassidy left her room the next morning and walked to the reception, a man already waited for her there. In his hand he held a sign which had her middle name, ‘Eira’, written on it and Cassidy knew it must’ve been one of her father’s drivers. When it came to safety and security measures her father became a bit paranoid, hence why they used her middle name as a ‘code’. In her father’s defence, his position put a big target on his back as well as on the people closest to him, which included his daughter. After all, he was Darius Parvulus Notitia, the High Counsellor of King Regis’s council. Her father was - besides the King himself of course - one of the most powerful men in Lucis, and thus a likely target for the Empire. She assumed after he lost her mother he didn’t want to risk losing his daughter as well. This probably was also the reason why he sent Cassidy to Altissia.

The driver greeted her with a curt bow and asked if he should take her luggage to the car and she thanked him for his assistance. One of the stewards of the resort helped the driver as well and all that was left for Cassidy to carry was her own purse. She remained a bit at the reception and looked around, trying to remember this place as best as she could. The atmosphere was quite enchanting after all. She wished she could stay a bit longer, maybe take a quick stroll down the beach or a short dip into the ocean. Cassidy let out a sigh and promised herself to come back here one day and discover all the hidden gems of this place.

As she left the resort and walked down the bridge towards the parking lot she took out her phone and started typing a quick message to her father that she would soon be on her way to Insomnia. When she walked down the staircase to the parking lot, completely engrossed by her phone, she collided with someone else. A flush of embarrassment spread across her cheeks.

“Oh, Astrals, I’m so sorry. I didn’t pay any attention to my surroundings,” She exclaimed as she looked up into the stranger’s face. She met his gaze and took in a sharp breath as she studied his features. His face was framed by wine-coloured locks, giving his amber eyes a nice contrast, and a slight smirk spread across his lips.

“No need to worry, my dear. I’m just as much to blame as you are,” He professed as he tipped his hat to her and shot her a very charismatic smile. Cassidy couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous around this man. His low but charming voice and his intense gaze made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

“N-no, it’s fine. Again, my apologies, but I…should be going now. A good day to you, Sir,” She stammered out before giving the man a quick curtsy and almost running towards the car where her father’s driver waited for her.

The man looked after her, his charming smile from before turning into an evil grin as he watched the young woman leave the parking lot in the safety of her car.

“And to you, Miss Notitia…” he muttered before letting out a deep chuckle.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So here it finally is, the story that has been floating around in my head FOR WEEKS. Honestly, I have multiple notebooks filled with information, story drafts, characterisations, subplots, EVERYTHING, and I'm so proud that I can finally present it to you. I know this chapter isn't all that long but it's only the introduction. The next few chapters will hopefully be a bit longer. 
> 
> I will try and update this as regularly as I can (I hope I can give a new chapter to you once a week), but I can't promise anything as I have to work 6 days a week.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will accompany Cassidy on her way.


End file.
